Brand: Lupicia
Type: Flavored Blend (Black/Green)
Brew Time & Temperature: 2 minutes, boiling
Leaf Appearance: Medium small, dark green tea leaves with long, yellow or purple flower petals added; however, I don't see any of the black tea leaves listed in the description
Color: Bright yellow; clear
Smell: Fruity and sweet, like tropical fruits
Recommended with/as: As is, sweetener
Rating: 7.5/10
Tasting notes and thoughts:
Holy crap, I can actually really taste this tea! Not like before, where the taste was kind of meh, but now this is actually pretty flavorful.
Mainly, it tastes very floral, with a bit of a tart taste (probably roses). While it does taste a lot like flowers, the green tea is still noticeable. It has a bit of a grassy taste that complements the flower taste well, but is mostly dwarfed by the flower taste. There are some fruit flavors that mostly make up the aftertaste, which is somewhat similar to apples. It's not astringent, but leaves the mouth/throat a little bit dry after drinking. Overall, its a nice, light tea, but I wouldn't drink it every day. Mainly, I'm just happy that my taste is actually coming back.
Other notes:
Well, for the first time, I think I missed a day (this is publishing past midnight today, I fell asleep during the review and woke up at exactly midnight). But that's okay! The science fair was super tiring and interesting, since we got called back for round 2 and had to talk to judges for 4-6 hours about the project. I'll give more updates tomorrow since I'm going back to sleep, but uh, pretty much: 1. the group of judges from the physics category told us that everything we believed about electricity is wrong, and 2. chevron talked to us, so we're hoping something will come from that. Awards is tomorrow, so let's see what comes from that.
Next on the 100 Days of Tea: Milk Caramel
Showing posts with label Week 8. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Week 8. Show all posts
Saturday, March 21, 2015
Friday, March 20, 2015
Day 55: Assam Calcutta Auction
Brand: Lupicia
Type: Black
Brew Time & Temperature: 2 minutes, boiling
Leaf Appearance: Small, broken up black/dark brown leaves
Color: Dark golden orange (dark, but not as dark as yesterday); clear
Smell: (man, my smelling still isn't that good yet) Sort of earthy and malty; its mostly just a standard assam
Recommended with/as: As is, milk, sweetener
Rating: 7/10
Tasting notes and thoughts:
Alright, so since I ended up taking a nap before this review and woke up at 11:30, I'll rush through the review. For some reason, on this assam, I'm not getting the usual malty, characteristic black tea taste. Rather, I'm getting sort of a tangy taste with some earthiness, but that's it. It's pretty smooth and has little astringency, but it just tastes too light for me to tell anything. It could just be that I just woke up (and I'm super tired), so I can't really taste, the water I used, my sick (just a runny nose now and some coughing) or just the tea. It's better with milk and honey, though. I might come back to this if I can get more.
Other notes:
Oh man, got the science fair tomorrow. The only problem is that one of my groupmates left their logbooks at home (guess who it is- it's the one who's been forgetting to do all of his work), so we might lose points on that. Hopefully we won't, but the judges wanted a book from everyone participating. I haven't practiced my interview/pitch though, but I know my stuff and the sample questions are relatively easy. Wish me luck!
Next on the 100 Days of Tea: Bravissimo!
Type: Black
Brew Time & Temperature: 2 minutes, boiling
Leaf Appearance: Small, broken up black/dark brown leaves
Color: Dark golden orange (dark, but not as dark as yesterday); clear
Smell: (man, my smelling still isn't that good yet) Sort of earthy and malty; its mostly just a standard assam
Recommended with/as: As is, milk, sweetener
Rating: 7/10
Tasting notes and thoughts:
Alright, so since I ended up taking a nap before this review and woke up at 11:30, I'll rush through the review. For some reason, on this assam, I'm not getting the usual malty, characteristic black tea taste. Rather, I'm getting sort of a tangy taste with some earthiness, but that's it. It's pretty smooth and has little astringency, but it just tastes too light for me to tell anything. It could just be that I just woke up (and I'm super tired), so I can't really taste, the water I used, my sick (just a runny nose now and some coughing) or just the tea. It's better with milk and honey, though. I might come back to this if I can get more.
Other notes:
Oh man, got the science fair tomorrow. The only problem is that one of my groupmates left their logbooks at home (guess who it is- it's the one who's been forgetting to do all of his work), so we might lose points on that. Hopefully we won't, but the judges wanted a book from everyone participating. I haven't practiced my interview/pitch though, but I know my stuff and the sample questions are relatively easy. Wish me luck!
Next on the 100 Days of Tea: Bravissimo!
Thursday, March 19, 2015
Day 54: Hapjan Purbat BOP (CTC)
Brand: Lupicia
Type: Black
Brew Time & Temperature: 2 minutes, boiling
Leaf Appearance: Small, dark brown CTC leaves; I guess they sort of look like fish food pellets
Color: Dark red/orange; it's clear, but it's so dark that it's hard to see through it
Smell: Typical of most Indian black teas- earthy, with a bit of spice
Recommended with/as: As is, milk, sweetener
Rating: 8.5/10
Tasting notes and thoughts:
Well, this is a pretty good CTC tea. With nothing added, there's a strong fruit flavor (which was mentioned in the description), which makes it a bit sweet and tart. It's somewhat like grapes or plums. It pairs well with the earthy, malty taste of the tea, and makes the tea somewhat complex, at least for a CTC. There's not much astringency and it's pretty smooth, but it does have a bit of denseness that leaves a texture in the mouth. It's great with milk and honey, and the strength of the tea makes it good for breakfast. I like it, but I'd say that it's a bit similar to most CTCs (it's one of the better ones I've had, though!).
Other notes:
Well, I've been working on the board today (it's in progress at the time of this post), did homework, set up the plan for the science fair, and practiced the interview questions.
There was one really interesting thing I did today, to say the least. In Japanese class, my friend and I laid out the whole plot for an anime featuring people from our class and us, and needless to say it's super ridiculous. I'm not going to write it out (but I might in the future. It might make a good prompt, heh), but if I could describe it in a few words: harem anime in which a group of government contracted mercenaries stop an organized band of rapists. It's great.
Also, I'm still sort of sick.
Next on the 100 Days of Tea: Assam Calcutta Auction
Type: Black
Brew Time & Temperature: 2 minutes, boiling
Leaf Appearance: Small, dark brown CTC leaves; I guess they sort of look like fish food pellets
Color: Dark red/orange; it's clear, but it's so dark that it's hard to see through it
Smell: Typical of most Indian black teas- earthy, with a bit of spice
Recommended with/as: As is, milk, sweetener
Rating: 8.5/10
Tasting notes and thoughts:
Well, this is a pretty good CTC tea. With nothing added, there's a strong fruit flavor (which was mentioned in the description), which makes it a bit sweet and tart. It's somewhat like grapes or plums. It pairs well with the earthy, malty taste of the tea, and makes the tea somewhat complex, at least for a CTC. There's not much astringency and it's pretty smooth, but it does have a bit of denseness that leaves a texture in the mouth. It's great with milk and honey, and the strength of the tea makes it good for breakfast. I like it, but I'd say that it's a bit similar to most CTCs (it's one of the better ones I've had, though!).
Other notes:
Well, I've been working on the board today (it's in progress at the time of this post), did homework, set up the plan for the science fair, and practiced the interview questions.
There was one really interesting thing I did today, to say the least. In Japanese class, my friend and I laid out the whole plot for an anime featuring people from our class and us, and needless to say it's super ridiculous. I'm not going to write it out (but I might in the future. It might make a good prompt, heh), but if I could describe it in a few words: harem anime in which a group of government contracted mercenaries stop an organized band of rapists. It's great.
Also, I'm still sort of sick.
Next on the 100 Days of Tea: Assam Calcutta Auction
Wednesday, March 18, 2015
Day 53: Matcha Black Soybean Rice Tea
Brand: Lupicia
Type: Blend (Green/herbal; I just realized this for all of the genmaichas I've had so far, so now I gotta go back and fix that)
Brew Time & Temperature: 1 minute 30 seconds, boiling
Leaf Appearance: Grass-like dark green leaves (both long and broken up) with popped rice and black beans; it is all covered in light green matcha
Color: Bright, light green; clear
Smell: From what I can smell, grassy and roasted notes
Recommended with/as: As is
Rating: 8/10
Tasting notes and thoughts:
As expected of genmaicha, there's a bit of a roasted taste from the rice, which is mixed with the grassy taste of the green tea. The matcha adds a bit of a tang to the tea, and I can't tell if it's the soybeans or the rice, but there's a bit of nuttiness too. It has a smooth texture for the most part, but it leaves the throat dry after drinking. Somewhat of a brothy taste, it's a decent tea, but is too similar to the other genmaichas I've had so far (the added beans don't really add much).
Short review today, since my sister came home and I've been doing homework/projects.
Other notes:
Nothing much today, but tomorrow is going to be fun (it's not). I couldn't get any of my math or history homework done since I went out to eat with my sister/family and got home late, so all I did was the english project (which I'm actually pretty proud of). Tomorrow though, I gotta catch up with AP Bio stuff (missed it because of my exit exams), finish the project board (didn't even start it yet and we're gonna do it in school), study for an AP bio/English/Japanese test, and finish all of the homework I didn't finish today. So, hopefully that goes decently.
Next on the 100 Days of Tea: Hapjan Purbat BOP (CTC)
Type: Blend (Green/herbal; I just realized this for all of the genmaichas I've had so far, so now I gotta go back and fix that)
Brew Time & Temperature: 1 minute 30 seconds, boiling
Leaf Appearance: Grass-like dark green leaves (both long and broken up) with popped rice and black beans; it is all covered in light green matcha
Color: Bright, light green; clear
Smell: From what I can smell, grassy and roasted notes
Recommended with/as: As is
Rating: 8/10
Tasting notes and thoughts:
As expected of genmaicha, there's a bit of a roasted taste from the rice, which is mixed with the grassy taste of the green tea. The matcha adds a bit of a tang to the tea, and I can't tell if it's the soybeans or the rice, but there's a bit of nuttiness too. It has a smooth texture for the most part, but it leaves the throat dry after drinking. Somewhat of a brothy taste, it's a decent tea, but is too similar to the other genmaichas I've had so far (the added beans don't really add much).
Short review today, since my sister came home and I've been doing homework/projects.
Other notes:
Nothing much today, but tomorrow is going to be fun (it's not). I couldn't get any of my math or history homework done since I went out to eat with my sister/family and got home late, so all I did was the english project (which I'm actually pretty proud of). Tomorrow though, I gotta catch up with AP Bio stuff (missed it because of my exit exams), finish the project board (didn't even start it yet and we're gonna do it in school), study for an AP bio/English/Japanese test, and finish all of the homework I didn't finish today. So, hopefully that goes decently.
Next on the 100 Days of Tea: Hapjan Purbat BOP (CTC)
Tuesday, March 17, 2015
Day 52: Decaf Momo
Brand: Lupicia
Type: Flavored Black
Brew Time & Temperature: 3 minutes, boiling
Leaf Appearance: Small, broken up brown leaves with pieces of white/drab green leaves
Color: Golden orange; clear
Smell: Like a sweet peach- still sick, so that's all I got
Recommended with/as: As is, cold brewed, sweetener
Rating: 7.5/10
Tasting notes and thoughts:
Oh, how I wish I had this tea yesterday, especially since I actually need the caffeine to stay up today. So because of that and because I'm super tired right now, this review isn't gonna be that in depth.
So, the tea certainly does taste like peaches. It's very similar to the caffeinated version (Momo, probably looking at the review would be better than this one), but with a different texture. While it isn't as strong, it does still have the sweet (and somewhat realistic?) taste of peach. For some reason, it leaves my tongue feeling a bit fuzzy and my throat dry, but isn't bitter. If you liked Momo and need a decent night tea, go for this one. Personally, I don't really like the texture, but if you cold brewed it, I think it'd be great.
Other notes:
Man, I am super sick of being sick (heh). Like, every time I get sick, it slowly gets better over time, but then I end up having symptoms for a real long time afterwards (like now- I don't feel as shitty as I did on Friday, but I still am coughing a bit and can't smell that well). Here's a life tip: never get sick.
Anyway, today I edited and finalized the lab report, so now all we have to do is prepare for the interview and put together the board. Exit exam went fine, school is okay, and the stuff came in the mail. My sister said she's coming home tomorrow now, so I guess I have that to still look forward to. That, and an English project that's due on Thursday that I haven't started. Woooooo.
Next on the 100 Days of Tea: Matcha Black Soybean Rice Tea
Type: Flavored Black
Brew Time & Temperature: 3 minutes, boiling
Leaf Appearance: Small, broken up brown leaves with pieces of white/drab green leaves
Color: Golden orange; clear
Smell: Like a sweet peach- still sick, so that's all I got
Recommended with/as: As is, cold brewed, sweetener
Rating: 7.5/10
Tasting notes and thoughts:
Oh, how I wish I had this tea yesterday, especially since I actually need the caffeine to stay up today. So because of that and because I'm super tired right now, this review isn't gonna be that in depth.
So, the tea certainly does taste like peaches. It's very similar to the caffeinated version (Momo, probably looking at the review would be better than this one), but with a different texture. While it isn't as strong, it does still have the sweet (and somewhat realistic?) taste of peach. For some reason, it leaves my tongue feeling a bit fuzzy and my throat dry, but isn't bitter. If you liked Momo and need a decent night tea, go for this one. Personally, I don't really like the texture, but if you cold brewed it, I think it'd be great.
Other notes:
Man, I am super sick of being sick (heh). Like, every time I get sick, it slowly gets better over time, but then I end up having symptoms for a real long time afterwards (like now- I don't feel as shitty as I did on Friday, but I still am coughing a bit and can't smell that well). Here's a life tip: never get sick.
Anyway, today I edited and finalized the lab report, so now all we have to do is prepare for the interview and put together the board. Exit exam went fine, school is okay, and the stuff came in the mail. My sister said she's coming home tomorrow now, so I guess I have that to still look forward to. That, and an English project that's due on Thursday that I haven't started. Woooooo.
Next on the 100 Days of Tea: Matcha Black Soybean Rice Tea
Monday, March 16, 2015
Day 51: The Au Chocolat
Brand: Lupicia
Type: Flavored Black
Brew Time & Temperature: 3 minutes, boiling
Leaf Appearance: Dark brown, broken up leaves with cocoa nibs added
Color: Dark copper; clear, with a light oily film on top
Smell: Strong cocoa smell (the actual beans, not something like hot cocoa- its not sweet)
Recommended with/as: As is, milk, sweetener
Rating: 8/10
Tasting notes and thoughts:
So, I'm still sick and my taste and smell aren't what they used to be yet, but since I've already had this tea before (and it's actually pretty good!), I think I'll be fine for this review. The color is dark and the smell is very strong, but surprisingly, it doesn't taste as intense as you would expect. It does taste very much like chocolate without the sweetness; its like a strong dark chocolate, but without the bitterness. In fact, it's actually very smooth with little astringency, and mixes well with the tea base. Personally, I'm a big chocolate fan and I could drink this often, but I'd prefer if it had more to offer than only chocolate (there isn't very much else I can taste, really). However, it's great mixed with other teas. If you ever get Cookie tea from Lupicia (one of my favorites), mix it with this and you get an awesome chocolate caramel cookie flavor. Try it with milk and honey!
Other notes:
Ugh, I have no idea why, but by the time I started writing this review, I got super anxious. Like, to the point that I felt like I was about to throw up. Caffeine on an empty stomach didn't help either. It's not because I'm still sick (I still am though), but I think it's because I think I realized that I did absolutely nothing today. School went okay, but when I got home, I ended up taking a nap because the sick made me feel like shit. Then, I was late to piano practice because my mom was on the phone, and at practice, I screwed up big time. When I got home after that, I just did math homework (and didn't even finish, it's due on wednesday though), and that's absolutely it. I was waiting for my lab partners to help edit the report but, like usual, they came on super late and didn't help much (one of them did rewrite one of my sections, though. Thanks!). I wanted to work more on the science fair and English projects, but I just completely blanked out on ideas for writing and just got frustrated. It doesn't help that my asthma's been acting up lately, and I've barely been able to breathe all day.
In other news, tomorrow, I have the first of my high school exit exams, my sister is coming home from college for a bit, and my Ikiru DVD and Stereo Alchemy CDs come in the mail. Hopefully I actually get something done by then.
Next on the 100 Days of Tea: Decaf Momo
Type: Flavored Black
Brew Time & Temperature: 3 minutes, boiling
Leaf Appearance: Dark brown, broken up leaves with cocoa nibs added
Color: Dark copper; clear, with a light oily film on top
Smell: Strong cocoa smell (the actual beans, not something like hot cocoa- its not sweet)
Recommended with/as: As is, milk, sweetener
Rating: 8/10
Tasting notes and thoughts:
So, I'm still sick and my taste and smell aren't what they used to be yet, but since I've already had this tea before (and it's actually pretty good!), I think I'll be fine for this review. The color is dark and the smell is very strong, but surprisingly, it doesn't taste as intense as you would expect. It does taste very much like chocolate without the sweetness; its like a strong dark chocolate, but without the bitterness. In fact, it's actually very smooth with little astringency, and mixes well with the tea base. Personally, I'm a big chocolate fan and I could drink this often, but I'd prefer if it had more to offer than only chocolate (there isn't very much else I can taste, really). However, it's great mixed with other teas. If you ever get Cookie tea from Lupicia (one of my favorites), mix it with this and you get an awesome chocolate caramel cookie flavor. Try it with milk and honey!
Other notes:
Ugh, I have no idea why, but by the time I started writing this review, I got super anxious. Like, to the point that I felt like I was about to throw up. Caffeine on an empty stomach didn't help either. It's not because I'm still sick (I still am though), but I think it's because I think I realized that I did absolutely nothing today. School went okay, but when I got home, I ended up taking a nap because the sick made me feel like shit. Then, I was late to piano practice because my mom was on the phone, and at practice, I screwed up big time. When I got home after that, I just did math homework (and didn't even finish, it's due on wednesday though), and that's absolutely it. I was waiting for my lab partners to help edit the report but, like usual, they came on super late and didn't help much (one of them did rewrite one of my sections, though. Thanks!). I wanted to work more on the science fair and English projects, but I just completely blanked out on ideas for writing and just got frustrated. It doesn't help that my asthma's been acting up lately, and I've barely been able to breathe all day.
In other news, tomorrow, I have the first of my high school exit exams, my sister is coming home from college for a bit, and my Ikiru DVD and Stereo Alchemy CDs come in the mail. Hopefully I actually get something done by then.
Next on the 100 Days of Tea: Decaf Momo
Sunday, March 15, 2015
Day 50: La Belle Epoque
Brand: Lupicia
Type: Black blend (Darjeeling and a mix of black tea)
Brew Time & Temperature: 3 minutes, boiling
Leaf Appearance: Curled black tea (somewhat large leaves; might be the darjeeling), with broken up pieces of dark green leaves and what I think is CTC Assam
Color: Dark copper; clear
Smell: Guess what? I'm still sick so no smell still
Recommended with/as: As is, milk, sweetener
Rating: 7.5/10
Tasting notes and thoughts:
Well, that horrid taste I tasted yesterday is still there, but is less strong than it is before (so I think it's my sick that's doing that, since I used the same water as yesterday). I still have a stuffy nose though and coughing a tiny bit, but I guess it's still better than yesterday.
Anyway, this tea is actually stronger than I expected (I'm used to darjeeling being somewhat light, but I guess when its combined with other black tea it's very strong). There's a very strong earthy and wood taste, with very dark chocolate notes. There's a bit of that spice that's characteristic of darjeeling, but it's not that noticeable compared to the other flavors. The aftertaste is a tiny bit bitter, but it doesn't leave the dry feeling in your mouth and throat (so I'm guessing that's not the astringency). Despite the bitterness, it still goes down pretty smooth. Overall, I'd say its good as a breakfast tea (it's actually really good with milk/sweetener), but I don't really like the bitterness. I'm not sure if its the actual tea or the way I brewed it, but if its the latter, I'd say the tea would be much more enjoyable (don't brew too long, kids).
Other notes:
Oh man, half way through the 100 Days of Tea (I'm surprised I haven't taken any breaks, even when I'm sick)! To be honest, more than once I've considered stopping because it was either too late (11 PM is not a good time to be drinking a super strong black tea) or I just couldn't taste because sick. Anyway, cheers to this not ending terribly!
In other news, I spent 5 straight hours (4 PM to now, 9 PM) working on that lab report for the science fair. I'm actually pretty proud of it since I did it all on my own (guess why) and can now make graphs in excel super quick. So now, I just have to put together a board and make it look pretty before Friday, and we'll be golden for the fair. I'm hoping that I don't have much homework though (and there probably won't be much because of exit exams this week) so I can get that done and an English project. Wooo!
Next on the 100 Days of Tea: The Au Chocolat
Type: Black blend (Darjeeling and a mix of black tea)
Brew Time & Temperature: 3 minutes, boiling
Leaf Appearance: Curled black tea (somewhat large leaves; might be the darjeeling), with broken up pieces of dark green leaves and what I think is CTC Assam
Color: Dark copper; clear
Smell: Guess what? I'm still sick so no smell still
Recommended with/as: As is, milk, sweetener
Rating: 7.5/10
Tasting notes and thoughts:
Well, that horrid taste I tasted yesterday is still there, but is less strong than it is before (so I think it's my sick that's doing that, since I used the same water as yesterday). I still have a stuffy nose though and coughing a tiny bit, but I guess it's still better than yesterday.
Anyway, this tea is actually stronger than I expected (I'm used to darjeeling being somewhat light, but I guess when its combined with other black tea it's very strong). There's a very strong earthy and wood taste, with very dark chocolate notes. There's a bit of that spice that's characteristic of darjeeling, but it's not that noticeable compared to the other flavors. The aftertaste is a tiny bit bitter, but it doesn't leave the dry feeling in your mouth and throat (so I'm guessing that's not the astringency). Despite the bitterness, it still goes down pretty smooth. Overall, I'd say its good as a breakfast tea (it's actually really good with milk/sweetener), but I don't really like the bitterness. I'm not sure if its the actual tea or the way I brewed it, but if its the latter, I'd say the tea would be much more enjoyable (don't brew too long, kids).
Other notes:
Oh man, half way through the 100 Days of Tea (I'm surprised I haven't taken any breaks, even when I'm sick)! To be honest, more than once I've considered stopping because it was either too late (11 PM is not a good time to be drinking a super strong black tea) or I just couldn't taste because sick. Anyway, cheers to this not ending terribly!
In other news, I spent 5 straight hours (4 PM to now, 9 PM) working on that lab report for the science fair. I'm actually pretty proud of it since I did it all on my own (guess why) and can now make graphs in excel super quick. So now, I just have to put together a board and make it look pretty before Friday, and we'll be golden for the fair. I'm hoping that I don't have much homework though (and there probably won't be much because of exit exams this week) so I can get that done and an English project. Wooo!
Next on the 100 Days of Tea: The Au Chocolat
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